


Diamond and pearl

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-17
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3113021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know,” Rin said at last, “you really are like a pearl.”</p><p>The comment caught Haruka off-guard, making his previously drowsy eyes widen.</p><p>“Someone of your...brilliance in a small fishing town like Iwatobi… You’re like a precious pearl hidden away in an oyster.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diamond and pearl

Rin woke up at 6:00 am sharp on the morning of the third day in Australia. He fastened his watch around his wrist and rolled over onto his side, extending a hand to the shoulder of the person sleeping next to him.

“Haru,” he called, shaking him gently. “Let’s go for a jog.”

Other than the rise and fall of his breathing, Haruka did not move or make a sound.

“Hey,” Rin continued, shaking him again, “We didn’t do nearly enough travelling on foot to go without land training for three days. We need to go.”

“Let’s...later,” Haruka mumbled sleepily, curling up beneath the blanket.

“There’s no better time than now,” Rin countered. “Come on.”

He gave Haruka’s side of the blanket a tug, pulling it partially off of him.

The action earned him an icy-blue glare, followed by Haruka turning in place so that the blanket was completely pulled off of Rin.

“Oi!” Rin exclaimed, sitting up. He leaned over Haruka who had, by then, retreated under the cover of the cocoon he had made of the blanket. “Haru...”

Haruka pretended to snore.

Rin sighed in exasperation.

“Fine,” he grumbled, getting out of bed. “Be that way. But don’t expect me to lie around, letting my muscles turn to jelly. I plan to be in shape for nationals.”

The blanket cocoon rustled, prompting Rin to pause, halfway in and out of the attached bathroom.

“Rin...” Haruka said after a moment.

“Yeah?”

Haruka was silent for nearly a minute before finally saying, in a low voice, “I’m...stuck.”

Rin wondered if he had heard right.

“Huh?”

“The blanket…”

Realizing what he meant, Rin bit his lip but could not hold back his laughter.

“Oi!”

Chuckling, Rin returned to Haruka’s side to untangle him.

“Turn there, and there... Geez, Haru, land really isn’t your thing, huh? You need that training more than I thought.”

“Shut up,” Haruka said irritably, still not free.

“Huh? Is that any way to talk to the person rescuing you from the depths of that blanket?”

“It’s not the ocean, Rin.”

“Heh. From the way you refused to part with it, it’s almost as if it were. And...there.”

He lifted the blanket off of Haruka, revealing him lying on the bed, disheveled, with a scorching scowl.

“Aw, I was hoping to find a pearl.”

“Weird...o,” Haruka said, the last letter lost in a yawn.

“Hey, you’re the weirdo,” Rin retorted, sitting down next to him. “So, are you coming jogging?”

“Yes,” Haruka replied, but instead of getting up, he continued to lie as he was, staring up at Rin through half-lidded eyes.

He stared back and for a few minutes, neither said anything.

“You know,” Rin said at last, “you really are like a pearl.”

The comment caught Haruka off-guard, making his previously drowsy eyes widen.

“Someone of your...brilliance in a small fishing town like Iwatobi… You’re like a precious pearl hidden away in an oyster.”

Rin leaned back on his elbows and continued.

“You could remain in your oyster, secret and safe, and...at peace.” He paused. “Or...you could leave, lifted out and above, to reveal your brilliance to the world, and in turn, experience everything it has to offer.”

He grinned at Haruka.

“So, pearl-san, what would you do?”

Haruka narrowed his eyes.

“I wouldn’t listen to romantic idiots who call other people pearl-san,” he replied flatly.

Rin’s face reddened and he scratched his head.

“Weirdo,” Haruka repeated.

“Haru, you-! Are we going jogging or what?!”

“Yes, yes,” Haruka replied, sitting up.

Rin stood and began heading toward the bathroom.

“Hey-”

“Since I woke up earlier, I’m going in first.”

“No, not that.”

Rin glanced back.

“If I’m similar to a pearl,” Haruka said, “you’re like a diamond.”

“W-What?”

Haruka got out of bed and moved toward him.

“You had to overcome great pressure to become who you are,” he said, facing Rin in the centre of the room. “Like a diamond.” Haruka smiled. “Also, there’s no one else who shines as brightly as you.”

“I can think of someone,” Rin said, returning his smile.

Haruka’s widened.

“And another thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Like a diamond,” Haruka began, and laughed. “You can make rainbows too.”


End file.
